County may join suit over class size

Tuesday

Jul 27, 2010 at 12:01 AM

The Marion County School Board will decide tonight whether to join a fight against the state over the impacts of the class size amendment.

By Joe CallahanStaff writer

The Marion County School Board will decide tonight whether to join a fight against the state over the impacts of the class size amendment.The Florida School Boards Association is planning to sue the state over the amendment, which requires school districts to meet specific class sizes by October or be fined. Voters approved the amendment to the state constitution in 2002.The association is seeking to stop the state from enforcing financial penalties against districts that fail to comply with the requirement and from using that revenue to reward districts that comply.Penalties were set by the state and were not part of the amendment passed by voters.School Board member Ron Crawford said he believes the board should discuss joining the lawsuit. The cost would be $1,500.It will be on tonight's agenda as an emergency item.Superintendent of Schools Jim Yancey said he believes in the class size amendment as written, as long as school districts are given money to comply.But during harsh economic times, and with federal stimulus dollars set to run out next June, money is a real issue.The School District is facing a $30 million shortfall for the 2011-12 year if actual class sizes are used and the state's revenue does not rebound.The real issue is whether the state should hold back on enforcing the class size amendment until Florida voters revisit it in November. That's when voters will decide whether to allow school districts to use schoolwide averages instead of actual class sizes mandated by the law.

To meet state-mandated class sizes, Marion County would have to create a number of new, smaller classes at a cost of about $12 million to hire new teachers.The caps are 18 students for grades up to third; 22 for grades 4-8; and 25 for core classes in grades 9-12.In recent years, schoolwide averages were used, meaning some classes could be a few students above the cap as long as other classes were a few students below.The end result was that districts met the caps based on a schoolwide average.But meeting the actual class size mandate by October is a much different story.Here's how an actual class-size mandate will impact a school.If an elementary school has 18 students in each of its four third-grade classrooms, a fifth teacher will have to be added if one new third-grader enrolls.That would also force administrators to move about three or four students from each of the four existing classes to the new class to balance them all out.In high school, once a class reaches 25 students then it creates a problem for others who need that class to graduate. That means some student schedules may have to be changed.District spokesman Kevin Christian said Marion County Public Schools is considering other options:

The district may form combination classes that will include elementary students from two different grades.New students may be assigned to schools outside their normal attendance areas, with transportation provided.Out-of-area school transfers will be based on availability.Virtual School options may be encouraged.More portable classrooms may be used.Non-teaching positions may have to be reduced to create teaching positions.Transportation costs may increase to shuttle kids and make classes balance.Wayne Blanton, the executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, wrote school superintendents, board attorneys and members in June. He informed them of the group's intent to file a lawsuit. Since then, several school boards throughout the state have committed to the suit.On the flip side, the state teacher's organization - the Florida Education Association - also filed a lawsuit asking the amendment be taken off the ballot.Contact Joe Callahan at 867-4113 or joe.callahan@starbanner.com.

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